1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus for recording an original document, such as a check, on a recording medium, such as a microfilm.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a typical example of this type of imaging apparatus is a rotary camera. A description will be given below using this rotary camera as an example.
In the rotary camera, photographs are continuously taken while performing exposure through a slit while both a subject and a film (recording medium) are being moved in synchronization with a reduction ratio. Therefore, it is possible to take a great number of photographs at a high speed.
A subject fed from a paper feed entrance is transported at a constant speed and passed through an exposure section. During this time, an image of the subject illuminated by a lamp is formed into an image on a film by a lens through a plurality of mirrors and slits.
An apparatus is known having a plurality of imaging sections for the purpose of simultaneously taking photographs on a plurality of films. Further, an apparatus having the function of taking a film storage section out of the camera body is known. Also, an apparatus is known having recording means, such as a memory, for recording information, such as the number of photographs taken, in the film storage section.
To prevent an image from being formed on a foggy portion of a film, formed by, for example, exposure to external light, when a long film is stored in the main body or the film storage section, an apparatus is known having the function of transporting a film (leader transport) by the amount of exposure (the foggy portion) to the external light when the film is stored before taking photographs.
Similarly, to prevent an image from being impaired because the image is exposed to external light when a long photographed film is taken out of the main body or the film storage section, an apparatus is known having the function of, before the film is taken out, transporting a film (trailer transport) for the amount of the portion exposed (the foggy portion) to external light at the time when the film is taken out.
FIG. 13 shows an example of a rotary camera. An imaging apparatus 101 comprises a supply section 102 for supplying a sheet-like subject S' into the main body of the apparatus, an ejection section 103 for ejecting the photographed subject S' out of the main body of the apparatus, a transport section 104 on the upstream side, an exposure section 105, and a transport section 106 on the downstream side, the sections 104, 105 and 106 being disposed in this order between the supply section 102 and the ejection section 103. The subject S' transported to the exposure section 105 is formed into an image on a film F' via an optical system 107 to be described later.
Each section of the apparatus is arranged as described below. A housing cover 110 covers the entire apparatus, the lower edge of the housing cover 110 is brought into contact with the peripheral edge of a base 108, and the housing cover 110 is pivoted in the back end of the base 108 by a hinge 109 so as to be openable and closable in the forward direction towards which the housing cover 110 opens. In a frame 111 assembled on the base 108, the upstream-side transport section 104 and the exposure section 105 are disposed in the lower portion of the frame 111, the supply section 102 is disposed in the front end portion 111a of the frame 111, and the downstream-side transport section 106 and the ejection section 103 are disposed in the upper portion of the frame 111. The optical system 107 is mainly disposed on one side thereof, and a drive system (not shown) is disposed on the other side. A film compartment 112 in which the film F' is stored is disposed in front of the supply section 102, a subject detection sensor 113 is disposed in the upper portion of the upstream-side transport section 104 toward the upstream direction. The subject detection sensor 113 detects the passing of the subject S' in order to control the shutter near the projection lens. The exposure section 105 is illuminated by a pair of illuminating lamps 114 and 114', and comprises a pair of parallel guide glasses 115 and 116 spaced from each other through which the subject S' is passed.
As an imaging method in a rotary camera, there is a simplex photographing method in which images of a subject are taken starting at the leading edge of the film and continuing over the entire width of a long microfilm with the photographing terminating at the trailing edge of the film. Such an imaging method also provides a forward/reverse photographing method (a dual photographing method) in which the microfilm width is divided into upper and lower halves, and when images are photographed in the entire first row of the upper half, the film is turned upside down and images are photographed along the second row of the lower half of the film. An imaging apparatus in which a film compartment for loading a microfilm can be mounted and dismounted as a camera unit has been designed. Some of these imaging apparatuses make forward/reverse photographing possible by turning the camera unit upside down.
However, in a conventional rotary camera, as in a case where a film is stored at an ordinarily illuminated place and the film is taken out of the imaging apparatus in a place with a small amount of exposure, such as a darkroom, the area exposed to external light may be different between when the film is loaded in the body or the film compartment and when the film is taken out of the body or the film compartment. In order to not transport the film more than necessary at this time, in some cases the leader transport and the trailer transport are set at a different amount of transport. When forward/reverse photographing is performed by such an imaging apparatus, the leader transport portion and the trailer transport portion overlap on the film. As a result, problems arise, for example, when the amount of trailer transport is smaller than the amount of leader transport, the image is impaired due to reexposure in the forward photographing portion during the forward/reverse photographing, or, when the amount of trailer transport is greater than the amount of leader transport, film is wasted.
FIGS. 14 and 15 are each an illustration of a film when forward/reverse photographing is performed by using a conventional imaging apparatus. FIG. 14 is an illustration of a film Fc when forward/reverse photographing is performed in a state in which the amount X.sub.L1 of leader transport is greater than the amount X.sub.T1 of trailer transport. FIG. 15 is an illustration of a film Fd when forward/reverse photographing is performed in a state in which the amount X.sub.T2 of trailer transport is greater than the amount X.sub.L2 of trailer transport.
In the film Fc of FIG. 14, the film Fc is inserted into the imaging apparatus, and the leader of the film is transported by the amount X.sub.L1 of leader transport from a point 1401. When a point 1402 is reached, forward photographing of the forward/reverse photographing is performed. When a point 1403 is reached during forward photographing, the film is reversed and reverse photographing is performed from a point 1404. The remaining amount of film is checked during the reverse photographing so that a point 1405 of the position where the trailer transport starts is determined on the basis of the amount X.sub.T1 of trailer transport, and photographing is performed up to the point 1405 such that a point 1406 is reached when the trailer transport terminates. Here, trailer transport is performed, and the point 1406 is reached. When such an operation is performed, in the film Fc, the image indicated by the shaded portion Qc during the reverse photographing of the forward/reverse photographing is formed into an image in the portion (the foggy portion) exposed to external light during the leader transport, and therefore the image is impaired.
In a film Fd of FIG. 15, the film Fd is inserted into the imaging apparatus, the leader thereof is transported by the amount X.sub.L2 of leader transport from a point 1501 until a point 1502 is reached, and forward photographing of the forward/reverse photographing is performed. When a point 1503 is reached during forward photographing, the film is reversed and reverse photographing is performed from a point 1504. The remaining amount of film is checked during the reverse photographing so that a point 1505 of the position where the trailer transport starts is determined on the basis of the amount X.sub.T2 of trailer transport, and photographing is performed up to the point 1505 such that a point 1506 is reached when the trailer transport terminates. Here, the trailer is transported, and the point 1506 is reached. When such an operation is performed, on the film Fd, there is an extra space indicated by the shaded portion Qd during reverse photographing of the forward/reverse photographing, and film Fd is wasted.
In an imaging apparatus configured in such a manner that the main unit of the imaging apparatus and the film compartment can be dismounted, if the film compartment is mounted in another imaging apparatus while a photograph is being taken, the above-described problems occur without the user becoming aware of this fact.